Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard has welcomed the completion of a £1.2million road improvement scheme at Temple Crossroads in Co Down.

The new four-leg roundabout at the junction of the A24 Carryduff Road and B6 Saintfield Road is in operation, two months ahead of schedule.

“The completion of this roundabout is good news for the 10,000 motorists who use this road every day,” Mr Hazzard said. “The A24 is one of the main links between South Down and Belfast. This significant investment improves access from the Saintfield Road across the main A24 Carryduff Road and is already providing safety benefits for road users at this busy junction.”

Work on the ‘Park and Share’ facility on the western side of the Saintfield Road, close to local bus stops, was also recently completed ahead of schedule. This now offers more people the opportunity to access sustainable transport on this key route.

The Minister concluded: “I would like to thank motorists and local residents for their patience while this much-needed improvement was completed.

“The growth of our economy depends on having good infrastructure in place to meet the needs of our people. The benefits of the upgrades to the Temple Crossroads go towards helping meet these needs and improving transport connections for people, goods and services.”

The contractor still has some landscaping work to carry out, which is dependent on favourable weather conditions, and TransportNI has said that it will keep the public informed of any changes or potential traffic disruptions.